New THRICE Album "Beggars"

Album Deets:

"Beggars" Available on iTunes August 11th, 2009

1. All the Word is Mad

2. The Weight

3. Circles

4. Doublespeak

5. In Exile

6. At the Last

7. Wood & Wire

8. Talking Through Glass

9. The Great Exchange

10. Beggars

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So, the new Thrice album is about to release to the masses for consumption, and already there are varied opinions of it (and the band for that matter). This is the band's first studio album release following the success of the Alchemy Index concept albums, so obviously, speculation must abound.

"Has the band mellowed out?"

"Have they lost their edge?"

"Will they sound like they used to on [insert older album here]?"

Admittedly, I asked myself these same questions, and many more, when I began listening to the album. Being honest, I was a late arrival on the Thrice bandwagon, only becoming a fan after the release of The Artist in the Ambulance so perhaps some of the bands early "intensity" is lost on me, but I was a HUGE fan of The Alchemy Index, so I had high hopes for Beggars.

Immediately apparent is Dustin Kensrue's obvious lyrical passion. "All the World is Mad" definitely sets the tone properly for the whole album, and while it may lack some of the post-hardcore intensity that gathered Thrice some early fans, surely the more matured fans who have grown parallel with Thrice will appreciate the song. In fact, that may be the theme for this album as a whole. If you find that you have followed Thrice from the early days and digested all of their albums equally, Beggars becomes a testimony to the "adult" Thrice that is to come for the next few years at least. Those seeds that were planted with Alchemy have blossomed into vibrant, strong-rooted saplings that will certainly continue to grow.

Highlights are definitely "Doublespeak," "At the Last," "Talking Through Glass," and "Wood and Wire" which all evoke a conglomeration of the elements from Alchemy, almost as if Beggars was intended to be the fifth element in the theme that fuses all four together in one complete composition. Still, Earth rings most true here, so if you enjoyed that effort, definitely check out Beggars. But fear not friends, because Thrice is still Thrice, and this is a great album.

Final Verdict (0 - 5.0):

4.0

A solid album, perhaps not their best, but definitely their most mature.

Judge For Yourself:

As of this posting, the album is streaming on the official Thrice Myspace page: www.myspace.com/thrice

-D